Vermont state Rep. Kevin "Coach" Christie is one of 48 state policymakers from across the country selected as a Council of State Governments' Henry Toll Fellow for the Class of 2015.
The Class of 2015 Toll Fellows represents 33 states and Puerto Rico, with 35 serving in the legislative branch, four serving in the judiciary and nine hailing from the executive. A nine-member committee of state leaders, many who are Toll Fellows themselves, reviewed a record number of applications to select the class.
Named for CSG founder Henry Wolcott Toll, the Toll Fellowship program is one of the nation's premier leadership development programs for state government officials. Each year, the program brings 48 of the nation's top officials from all three branches of state government to Lexington, Ky., for an intensive six-day, five-night intellectual boot camp.
"My hope is the Henry Toll Fellowship program will provide me with enhanced skills that will enable me to perform my work more effectively for Hartford and Vermont overall," Christie said.
The program's agenda includes a lineup of dynamic speakers and sessions designed to stimulate personal assessment and growth, while providing priceless networking and relationship-building opportunities. While each year's program is unique, previous programs have included sessions on leadership personality assessment, media training, crisis management, appreciative inquiry, adaptive leadership and much more.
"The Toll Fellowship remains the oldest and most prestigious of all leadership development programs for elected officials," said David Adkins, CSG's executive director/CEO. "Its impact is profound and its quality is renowned. As a Toll Fellow from 1993, I know first hand the impact the program has on elected officials."
Adkins was a 1993 Toll Fellow when he served as a Kansas state representative.
Toll Fellows alumni include U.S. Rep. John Carney, a former Delaware lieutenant governor; former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, a former Hawaii state Senate president; U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita, a former Indiana secretary of state; former North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue and former U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.
Christie said programs like Toll Fellows allow state officials to improve communication and other leadership skills.
"Continuing leadership development training is very important to state officials so that they are prepared to take the initiative to move legislation through the process," Christie said. "The communication, interpersonal, collaboration and leadership skills shared through this training program will be essential as we work through the issues and concerns facing all Vermonters."
This year's program will be held Aug. 28-Sept. 2 in Lexington.